If you read this newsletter, then you need to join us on Tuesday evening, February 5 at 6:30 pm for the CEC Annual Meeting at the Houston Environmental Center.

Jim Blackburn and Charles Tapley, a dynamic teaching duo, will present their recent work on Houston’s “ecological capital.” They have identified the region’s most important ecological areas, produced narratives about each, and with the help of the Gulf Coast Institute created intelligent, beautiful maps (some of which we’ll hand out February 5). Consider it a free continuing education course on the environment of the Gulf Coast.

As Blackburn has written, “One of the best-kept secrets of the Houston region is its ecological abundance. No less than eight distinct ecological systems surround the Houston area. These are resources of national and even international importance, and they offer a type of capital – ecological capital – that will become more and more valuable as we move further into the 21st century. A key to Houston’s future is to recognize and capitalize upon this ecological capital.”

Blackburn notes that recreational preferences are changing in the United States. While consumptive outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing are certainly popular in Texas, a large and growing sector of the population is interested in non-consumptive activities such as hiking, canoeing, birdwatching, and sailing. In fact, birdwatching is the fastest growing outdoor recreational activity in the United States and large amounts of money are spent each year on eco-tourism.

As we’ve noted in this column before (see President’s Letter, 12/00), these trends are becoming increasingly important to corporations deciding where to locate their operations. Bright, young employees are choosing a place to live based on the recreational package that a community offers. So Houston’s ecological capital is, indeed, capital in the financial sense: it is one of the important assets that will – or will not – help the region attract and keep the knowledge workers who create today’s economy.

In addition to learning, the Annual Meeting is also a time to see old friends and the new faces of the environmental community. Representatives from many of the 90 member nonprofit organizations of the CEC will be on hand to approve the new CEC board and get a sneak peak at what’s in store for 2002.

And to keep with 31 years of tradition, we’ll have the 2002 Environmental Resource Guide fresh from the printer to hand out to all attendees. This year’s guide includes a fresh look at the “State of the Environment” along the Gulf Coast.

At the Annual Meeting you’ll get education and inspiration from Blackburn and Tapley, a chance to renew and make new relationships with your environmental colleagues, and phone numbers from the Resource Guide: everything you need to make Houston a better place to live in 2002.